A Narrative Review - Exploring the Influence of the Menstrual Cycle on Badminton Performance

Abstract

To date, there exists a notable gap in research specifically exploring the influence of the menstrual cycle on female badminton athletes' performance during trainings and competitions. Existing scientific literature on the relationship between the menstrual cycle and sports performance, found through platforms like PubMed, Google Scholar among others, primarily draws insights from studies conducted in other sports such as handball, rugby, football, volleyball or athletics. The literature review for this study included fifteen articles, two of which were systematic reviews. The selected studies focused on healthy eumenorrheic female athletes, aged 17 to 30 years, who were not using contraceptive pills and were competed to at least in a national level. However, due to the natural diversity among women, and the multifactorial environment that influences the human being, reassuring that a certain type of training must be followed on a determined menstrual cycle’s phase or that a certain injury does occur primarily in a certain period of the cycle, remain unclear. Nevertheless, what it is evident is that numerous hormonals and physiological changes occur through the cycle, and that these changes might have an impact on the female athlete’s performance. Exploring this area through dedicated research and understanding these nuances can facilitate tailored training approaches to enhance performance and mitigate any associated challenges. Hence, normalizing discussions around the menstrual cycle and gaining familiarity with it, will play a role not only on the athlete performance but also on their well-being.